What You Need to Know About SEO

Search Engine Optimization: you need it to make the first page of Google results, but implementing it correctly is tricky. Not only can you get things wrong, but in some cases, you can end up penalized by Google long term. Of course, going without it is a means to an end of your blog as well. So, how can you get it right? By knowing some key facts about SEO.

What You Need to Know About SEO

Start with Quality Content

Believe it or not, Google uses algorithms to differentiate between content that is simply filler and high-quality content. The higher the quality, the higher the rankings. So the first thing you should do, for both your rankings and your reader, is ot focus on the content you produce.

Don’t Buy Your Backlinks

Organic links are fine, but those you buy in a bundle from some SEO specialist? Google has caught onto them. In the best-case scenario, they just won’t count. In the worst-case scenario, Google will penalize you for using them.

Keep Keywords Organic

The old rules of SEO said that keyword stuffing was the way to go. Once again, Google figured that out, and now keyword stuffing results in penalties. While keywords are needed, they should be organic to what you are writing, flowing naturally with the rest of the content. Skip the stuffing and focus on the keywords that work.

Make a Google+ Page

It should come as no surprise that Google wants to promote its own products, and one of the ways they will measure your social status is with social media presence. While all your pages matter, your Google+, it can be assumed, matters more. If you do not have one yet, make one.

Improve Your Site Load Time

No one wants to wait for a page to load—and that includes Google. The longer it takes to load, the lower your rankings will be. If you do not know how to improve your site load time, hire out the job to a specialist.

While this isn’t all there is to SEO, it is a good start. So get going and keep researching so you can keep up with best practices.